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Lions' Tulloch doing better, but future still in doubt

Stephen Tulloch's future with the Detroit Lions has been the subject of speculation for more than a year now.

When Tulloch tore the ACL in his left knee in September 2014, some thought that he'd played his last game for a defense of which he has been a staple since 2011.

The Lions brought Tulloch back this fall, but an up-and-down season has many wondering -- again -- what the off-season will hold for the team's leading tackler.

Tulloch, who's scheduled to make $5.5 million next year, has a $500,000 roster bonus due in March. The Lions can create $6 million in salary cap space by releasing him.

Complicating matters is that no one knows what will happen to two of Tulloch's biggest supporters, coach Jim Caldwell and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, given this year's 4-8 record.

Tulloch has declined interview requests this week, as he has most of the year, but Austin said the soon-to-be 31-year-old has seen a renaissance, of sorts, in his play.

"I think Tully has been doing a heck of a job for us," Austin said Thursday. "What we've done, I think, and has helped him, is we've streamlined the packages he's in. I mean, he's not out completely on pass downs, but we've tried to streamline what he does, and I think that's really helped his game. He's played -- again, we know he's a good leader, he's a great teammate, great guy, and it was just a matter of time, I think, before he started playing well."

The Lions took him out of his every-down role the following week against the Minnesota Vikings, and have been splitting middle linebacker reps between Tulloch and Josh Bynes ever since.

A liability against the pass, Tulloch remains one of the Lions' best run defenders, with 80 tackles and one sack.

"We tend to forget that he was coming off of a major knee injury and, a lot of times, those guys, it takes them a little while to really get back playing into game speed, game shape," Austin said. "We like to think that he's going to be fine and there's no let up and no setbacks, but sometimes there are. And I think maybe that's what happened earlier in the year.

"Physically, I'm sure he felt fine, but in terms of game speed and game reps, it wasn't the same. And I think he's playing well now this time of the year."

Tulloch has been a big part of the Lions' recent defensive surge that has seen them play their best football the last four weeks.

The Lions haven't allowed more than 70 yards rushing in a game since their Nov. 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in London, and they've won three of four heading into Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams (1 p.m., Fox).

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, who coached Tulloch for the first five years of his career with the Tennessee Titans, said the linebacker is playing "good football" right now and remains a player who has to be accounted for on the field.

"He's the mainstay of the defense," Fisher said in a conference call with Detroit reporters this week. "He gets everybody lined up, he runs and gets the tackles. Of course, he endured the injury, but he's clearly come back off the injury and is playing really good right now."